• October 14th, 2025
• Trini Socialist
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The UNC Regime is Rolling out Digital IDs and CBDC in Trinidad Jan 2026

Fellow Trinidadians and Tobagonians, wake up to the reality unfolding before us. Yesterday, on October 13, 2025, during the presentation of the 2025/2026 national budget, the United National Congress (UNC) government, led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, dropped a bombshell that's being sold as "modernization" but smells like a power grab.

Amidst talks of fiscal prudence and economic recovery, they revealed plans to accelerate the rollout of mandatory digital IDs and a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) starting as early as January 2026. This ties into their recent commitment to the global 50-in-5 initiative, which pushes for digital public infrastructure including IDs and payments systems.

But let's call it what it is: a digital chain around our necks, designed to track, trace, and tame the populace under the guise of progress.

Don't be fooled by the shiny packaging. These technologies, while touted for efficiency, carry dark undercurrents that threaten our fundamental freedoms. We've seen glimpses in other countries, and now the UNC is importing this model to our islands. Here's why this should alarm every one of us.

Digital IDs: The End of Privacy as We Know It

The push for digital IDs isn't new—it's been brewing in the background with grants and loans funneling millions into e-ID systems and data platforms. Come January 2026, expect your life to be digitized: a unique identifier linked to biometrics, health records, financials, and more. The government promises convenience—faster services, less paperwork. But the negatives far outweigh any perks.

Tracked and Traced Everywhere: With digital IDs integrated into daily life, every step you take becomes data for the state. Location tracking via apps, facial recognition at checkpoints, even social media activity tied to your profile. In a country where crime rates hover high, this won't just catch criminals; it'll monitor dissenters, journalists, and ordinary folks voicing concerns about government policies. Imagine being flagged for attending a protest against utility hikes or environmental issues—your movements logged, your associations scrutinized.

Vulnerability to Abuse and Hacks: These systems are honeypots for cybercriminals. Remember past data breaches in regional governments? A hacked digital ID database could expose your entire life to identity theft or worse. And in the hands of an authoritarian-leaning regime, it's a tool for exclusion—deny access to services if you're deemed "non-compliant."

This isn't hyperbole. Global examples abound: China's social credit system uses similar tech to punish "undesirable" behavior, restricting travel or jobs. Closer to home, the rush to digitalize without robust safeguards echoes failed initiatives elsewhere, leaving the vulnerable—elderly, rural communities, the unbanked—further marginalized.

CBDC: Your Money, Their Leash

Hand in hand with digital IDs comes the CBDC, a programmable digital dollar controlled by the Central Bank. While still in the research phase officially, the budget's emphasis on digital transformation signals a fast-track to implementation by early 2026. No more cash anonymity; every transaction is traceable, taxable, and tamperable.

Cut Off at the Government's Whim: Upset the powers that be? Your wallet could go dark. We've witnessed this in Canada, where protesters' bank accounts were frozen during the 2022 Freedom Convoy. In Trinidad, criticizing the UNC's handling of inflation, crime, or energy policies could mean restricted access to your own funds—can't pay bills, buy food, or support your family. It's financial censorship on steroids.

Programmable Control and Inflation Manipulation: CBDCs can be coded to expire, limit spending (e.g., no alcohol or "luxuries" during "austerity"), or geo-restrict usage. In a volatile economy like ours, where oil prices dictate fortunes, this hands the government unprecedented power to "nudge" behavior. Want to stimulate spending? Make money vanish if not used. Dissent brewing? Throttle funds to opposition areas.

The Human Rights Foundation's CBDC tracker highlights these risks: surveillance, exclusion, and erosion of financial privacy. For a nation recovering from economic hits, this isn't empowerment—it's enslavement to a digital overseer.

The Bigger Picture: A Tool for Total Control

Linking digital IDs with CBDC creates a closed ecosystem of control. The UNC's manifesto promised embracing digital tech to cut bureaucracy, but this budget revelation shows the true intent: monitor citizens, suppress opposition, and centralize power. With millions in international funding pouring in for these projects, it's clear this is part of a global trend toward surveillance states. In Trinidad and Tobago, where political divisions run deep, this could exacerbate tensions, turning data into a weapon against perceived enemies.

Hypocrisy alert: Just years ago, opposition voices warned against cashless societies enabling seizures of assets. Now in power, the UNC flips the script. This isn't about fairness; it's about fortifying rule.

Resist Now—Before It's Too Late

January 2026 is mere months away. We can't let this slide into reality without a fight.

Demand Accountability: Push for public consultations, independent audits, and opt-out options. Contact your MPs, flood social media with #NoDigitalChains.

Build Alternatives: Support cash economies, community networks, and privacy tools. Educate neighbors on the risks—knowledge is resistance.

Mobilize Collectively: Join rallies, petitions, and alliances across party lines. Our independence was won through unity; our digital freedom demands the same.

Trinidad and Tobago deserves better than a regime's digital dystopia. We're the land of calypso, carnival, and resilience—not algorithms and authoritarianism. Resist this encroachment. Reclaim your sovereignty. Share your thoughts below. Let's turn the tide together. Freedom first. — A Concerned Citizen of the Republic